


Kindred Secrets

by snowzone5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Mileven, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-09 12:36:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19887937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowzone5/pseuds/snowzone5
Summary: Mike has strange secret that keeps him from having any friends. That includes the girl he can't stop looking at: El Hopper, or any of her friends known in Hawkins middle as The Party. El desperately wants to get to know Mike, but he won't give her the time of the day. Will Mike finally decide that El is worth sharing his secret with? Is there even a possibility of mileven :)





	1. No Friends Allowed

This would be the third year in a row that Mike Wheeler would have no friends at school. It's not that he didn't want friends. He desperately wanted friends. It's that it wasn't safe for him to have friends. More important to Mike though, was that it wasn't safe for anybody to be his friend.

He couldn't have friends was because of the secret he carried. Any friend that found that out, would feel uneasy, maybe even feel betrayed once they knew and would no longer want to be his friend after that anyway.

No. It was just easier if he didn't have any friends.

Dustin, Lucas, Max, and El. They were known as The Party at school. Mike was not a member. They wanted him to be and had once invited him during the summer to a game of D&D at Lucas's house, but Mike told them his mom was making him babysit his little sister Holly. He knew they had invited him because he was a nerd and probably wouldn't turn down an invitation to do anything.

And then there was El. She was so pretty it felt like his heart was being squeezed whenever looked at her... made it ache to know that she could never be his friend.

XXXXX

"There's MIke Wheeler over there sitting by himself in the corner." Dustin said when they'd settled at the Party table in the cafeteria.

The rest of the Party swung their head to look and then look back. Only El's gaze lingered. She sighed and turned back to the rest of the group.

"You like him don't you?" Max nudged her with her elbow.

"Yes," El said in a quiet voice. " But he's not interested.. in any of us." She tried to cover quickly, but the rest of the Party just smirked.

El thought if she could use her ability to get Mike to like her, she would have done it in a second. Even in front of the Party. And she'd explain to them and deal with her dad if he ever found out. She wanted to talk to Mike find out everything about him. She wanted to hold his hand…. she wanted to... kiss him. She flushed thinking his full lips against hers. Mike always looked away if she caught him looking at her, but he wouldn't come over and talk to the group. El didn't think she had the nerve to go up to him and talk to him.

Max said, "it's pretty clear he's not going to talk to us. He looks at you a lot, so you have the best chance of talking to him."

"But what if he doesn't like me?"

"So he doesn't like you. Do you want to know now? Or do you want to pretend that maybe he does, but two or three years from now find out he really doesn't?" Max said, " _and_ be miserable everyday between now and then. I don't get why guys or girls hang on to that and never do anything about it. Nobody wants to feel sad all the time."

"When I first saw Lucas, I liked him, I wanted to get to know him. But I didn't want to waste my time if he wasn't interested. So I went over one day at the bike rack and kissed him."

Lucas looked at El, "Max isn't saying you need to go over and kiss him... unless you really want to... but if she hadn't kissed me…"

"Point is," Max said, "Lucas knew right away that I liked him and he was ok with that. I admit it was bold, but it got the job done. I regret nothing... Lucas doesn't either…." She looked at Lucas for confirmation.

Lucas nodded. "Guys are too chicken to admit their feelings and do anything about it. Remember Mike is a nerd like us. He's probably terrified to tell a girl he likes her."

"It's more than that," El said. "He's actively avoiding me... us."

XXXXX

Scott Clarke, was going do something different with the the lab partners this year. Usually he let the students choose who would be their lab partner, but this time he was going to pick the pairs. He knew he'd get a lot of groaning from the students who wouldn't be happy with whoever he picked for them, but Scott was more worried about some students than others. He would keep he group known as the Party together, it would simply be cruel to separate them. His focus was getting one of his better students, Mike Wheeler to have friends. He didn't know if Mike was super shy, or having a self-confidence problem.

He'd see him and one of the Party members, El Hopper looking at each other and trying to disguise it. He thought that if they became friends, she would naturally introduce them to the Party, and Mike would possibly be invited.

As the class got settled he launched into his plan.

"This year class, I'll be picking your lab partners." As expected a loud groan of protests filled the room.

He made sure to make the call outs random so it didn't look like he was singling out any particular group or person. He made sure not to look at his class as he read out the names.

When he was done and let the groans subside, he had paired Max and Lucas, Dustin and Will, Mike and El.

XXXXX

When El had heard that she was paired with Mike Wheeler as a lab partner, her heart came thudded like a jackhammer. She could barely maintain a straight face and would _not_ look over at Mike. She didn't think she could bear to see any disappointment in his face.

XXXXX

Mike heard Mr. Clarke go down his list and was floored when caught his name and El's in the same breath. And then he was scared. There was no way he was going to be able to ignore her if she was his lab partner. They would have to work together, and work together efficiently if they were to get a good mark. She was an A student, as Mike was, so she would definitely blame him if they didn't get an A.

"Ok class, shuffle around till you are all sitting with your lab partner." Mr. Clarke said.

Mike didn't move, and as expected, El came over and sit beside him. Neither of them looked at each other for a few minutes until Mike said, "this doesn't mean were going to be friends." He tried not to make it sound cruel, but he was sure it didn't come out that way.

"Of course not," El said, "because that would be stupid. And we're not stupid are we?"

She gave him a blank look.

"I didn't mean it like that... El"

When Mike used her name she thought she was going to faint. She managed to keep a cool air of indifference. "Of course you didn't, we are lab partners and only need to speak to each other to get our work done. We go our separate ways after this class. I'm not stupid Mike."

El thought she would throw up.

Mike was stunned into silence. Nice going mouthbreather he thought to himself, you got the prettiest girl in the school mad at you, What was he going to do? He absolutely could _not_ let her be friends with him. If he did he would end up breaking her heart when she found out his secret. El deserved a lot better than that.


	2. Secret Pact

Max could see that El could barely contain her excitement. "Spill it El, what has you vibrating this morning. You've had a perma-grin on your face all morning."

"Mike and I are lab partners in Mr. Clarke's class." she said beaming.

"I'll bet Wheeler is thrilled with that. How's that working out for you?"

El's face fell. "He said it didn't mean we'd be friends."

"What an asshole," Max was mad. El was the sweetest person she knew, and Mike Wheeler was turning out to be a mouthbreathing asshole.

El looked down, "I don't think it's like that. He has his reasons."

"Oh?" Max drew her head back gave it head a quick shake, "what reason could he possibly have o be an asshole to you…. if it doesn't come naturally?" Max stopped, she could see El was close to tears.

"El, you just be yourself. That's why people like you. Work hard in the labs get a good mark in it. No way Mike can keep that up if he's really a nice guy. Word of advice, don't tell him about your ability, sure as shit that will scare him off. You want to be really good friends before you tell him... and from what you said, that will never happen so it looks like he will never know."

XXXXX

El was in class first and at their lab table when Mike sat beside her, "sorry El. I didn't mean to sound like total wasteoid. I'm not really like that." He was looking down.

"It's ok Mike, you have your reasons."

"There isn't a good enough reason to treat you they way I treated you yesterday, I'm really sorry."

"It's ok Mike. We may not be friends but we can be civil towards each other. I want to get a good mark in this class."

"Thanks for understanding El, most people don't. There's really _is_ reason I don't have any-can't have friends."

"You know the Party aren't the typical kids you find in school. We have Party rules, two of the best ones are Friends Don't Lie, and that you can't break a promise. Ever. So if you told me your reason, it would be safe with the Party…. or even just me." She gave him a warm smile.

El gave him such a sincere look and Mike felt a pang in his heart. When she smiled at him it was so strong he thought he would pass out. Maybe it would be ok to hint at his secret? Mike... he thought to himself cautiously... think again, if she found out, she wouldn't want to be anywhere near you.

El could see Mike was struggling with what he was thinking. "I can't imagine anything so bad that would prevent from you having any friends. It must be really important to you."

"It's not that I don't want friends El, I do but if they ever find out... my... if they ever found out they wouldn't want to be friends with me anyway, I'm just saving myself the grief of losing friends."

"Mike, it just _can't_ be that bad. It really can't."

"El…," Mike sighed, he was going to do it. He was really going do it.

"See that pencil on the table? Put the eraser tip up your nose."

El looked at the pencil, picked it up and put the eraser end in her nose. It was just hanging there. Mike looked at her, eyebrows raised. "You do that a lot do you?."

El's eyes crossed as she looked at the pencil dangling out of her nose and then widened when she saw blood trickling out of his nose. She took a quick look around and whispered, "your nose bleeds too?"

"Sometimes I use the Nudge... bleeds more if I Shove… wait... what do you mean _too_? "

El took the pencil out of her nose, put it on the table, tilted her head forward, stared at it for a split second and it rolled towards Mike.

Now it was Mike's turn for his eyes to widen. "El, that's amazing!"

"Shhh," she looked around, "nobody knows my secret. As for amazing you just told me to put a pencil in my nose and I did it without thinking...and…." El figured it out instantly.

"That's why you think you can't have any friends. You think they would feel they had no free will around you if you told them."

Mike looked down. "Yeah…."

"Mike, " El said put her hand on his arm, "I understand."

"You can't tell anyone El, if anybody finds out it's just matter of time before someone wants to dissect me into a millions pieces to figure to how I do it."

"Mike." El said, she stared into his eyes with such intensity that Mike was completely unnerved. "I _do_ understand."

"I won't tell anybody about you either, El."

"The Party already knows."

"You told them?!"

"Yes, it was... easier... I already told you about the Friends Don't Lie rule."

"Yeah... but…"

"We mean it, Mike. And the other rule, I made them Promise."

"You can't make anybody our age promise not to tell anybody something like that and hope it sticks. You've heard that a joke, three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

El smiled at Mike, "you don't know the Party, and those two rules. I trust them with my life. I have to."

Mike looked into her eyes. El looked back. "So, if I'm your friend... nobody knows, not even the Party if I didn't want you to tell?

"Not even the Party Mike. I was in the exact same place you are right now. That was a year ago."

"El," Mike said, "I can't tell you how sorry I am for they way I treated you…"

"Mike…. friends?"

"Friends, El. I just found out you are the _only_ person who knows exactly what I'm going through and how I feel. Right now you are my only friend. The only one I've _ever_ had."

If she was going to say it, it had to be this moment. "I like you, Mike." El looked down.

Mike had such a sense of relief he thought he would start crying right there. "Um, I really like you too El. You have no idea. And I _promise_ I will never use my abilities on you again... I _promise_."

"We promise each other Mike. For me only the Party knows, but I will keep your secret... to myself, until you say otherwise."

Mike leaned over... stopped and turned an extreme shade of red, "I almost kissed you." He laughed.

"I'd be ok with that Mike." El turned a matching shade of red. And then Mike actually leaned over and kissed El, it was quick and nobody saw.

"I don't think you're supposed to kiss your lab partner." El giggled.

"You are no longer my lab partner, El. I mean, you are, but you are something more. More than a friend."

El gave Mike a big contented sigh.

"Uh, you said the Party already knows about your ability?"

"Yes, Mike."

"And you trust them?"

"With my life Mike. I have to."

"Wow. Those are really good friends you have."

"They can be yours too Mike. I can introduce you. There's no way for them to know you have an ability. Unless you tell them. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything El, you are my only friend and the only person who really understands."

"You can't use your abilities on them, at all."

"I know El, I'm sorry I used them on you. I really am,"

"You needed to prove a point Mike, I know, you had no idea if I would have believed you or not. You can be sure of two things. I've never put a pencil in my nose before..." El smiled then looked down.

"Two things?"

"I've never had a boy kiss me before. And you did it without using your ability. You could have made me kiss you, if I wanted to or not."

"You can't do that to friends. It wouldn't be right."

"I know, Friends Don't Lie. It's important to the Party." El leaned over and kissed him.

"No ability used." He sighed and smiled.

"No ability needed, Mike."


	3. The Big Reveal

The Party was sitting at their table, "We really need a Dungeon Master, as demonstrated in our last campaign, I'm not very good at it." Dustin said.

"You suck at it," Lucas said. "But you are better than I would be."

"Ok, this is new, " Dustin raised his head nodding over their shoulder.

Max turned around and saw El coming with Mike Wheeler, they were standing very close to together. Their hands where tightly clasped, fingers practically braided together. They stayed that way when they sat down at the table.

El had such a sublime look on her face Max felt guilty about what she said next. "From asshole to boyfriend? Really El?"

Mike turned red and looked down. El's face was a brewing storm. "Don't call my boyfriend that again."

"Uh, El, Max didn't mean anything by it." Lucas said.

"I know what she meant Lucas, yesterday she might have been right. Maybe. Today she is not. Sorry Mike, this is not going how I thought it would. We should go."

"It's ok, El, I'm the new guy. I didn't really expect to be welcomed with open arms after ignoring you guys for three years."

"Guys, let's give Mike a chance. How many times have we talked about asking him if he wants to join the Party? I think you guys can already guess what El's choice is going to be, she's been pining for Mike for over a year. Just after she told us-" Dustin clamped a hand over his mouth.

Both Mike and El flushed. He said in a lowered voice "I, um, know about El's...ability."

"You told him?" Max was shaking her head "I hope he's worth it. Wheeler you better not be a dumbass. This is serious shit."

"I know I'm not a Party member, but I already made El a promise, her secret is safe with me."

"If Mike is El's friend and she trusts him with her... secret, then he's mine too." Dustin said.

Max was silent. Lucas looked a Max and shrugged. "We gave El a chance, Max. That's what we do."

"Fine." Max said crossed her arms. Lucas was pretty sure she was going to brood the rest of the day.

"So have you guys heard they are calling all the kids our age in the school to the principal's office? One at a time. I've seen a few guys in black suits going in and out of classrooms."

El looked a Mike with panic in those big eyes. "It's ok El, I'm pretty sure I can make them go away."

Mike realized he'd said that a little too loud. "How are you going to do that Mike?"

"I can be convincing when I want to be."

"I'm pretty sure these guys are from the government... professional somethings, I don't think any 13 year old is going to convince them of anything." Dustin said. "Ah, shit, here comes Troy and James. I'm sure they've got you in their sights already Mike, you're not safe with us."

Mike got up, and walked over to them before they got to the table. The Party could see both James and Troy nodding at Mike. What they didn't see was Troy punching Mike, which was Dustin's prediction. It didn't happe, they did more nodding and walked away. When the two of them left, Mike ran towards the direction of the washrooms.

"What just happened?" Dustin said.

"You saw what I saw, Troy and James left before coming over here and Mike didn't end up with a bloody nose." Lucas said.

In a few minutes Mike came back to the table, "you ok?" El asked. She'd been a little worried.

"Yeah," Mike was a little paler than he usually was. He had used his Shove. He needed to for both Troy and James at the same time, and with what he'd made them do.

There was a commotion in the hallway, a few guys in suits running towards the school entrance.

Mike felt his nose tickle a little bit. Shit. "Dude, your nose is bleeding."

"I get nosebleeds a lot." Mike said.

"So does El when she uses her…" Dustin looked at Mike. "Uh, you don't have a tattoo do you?"

Mike shoved his sleeves up on both arms. "No, you can't get a tattoo when you're a kid." He was trying to sound as normal as possible.

Mike came to the realization that he was going to have to tell them, the Party was smart enough to figure things out on their own. Mike wasn't sure he was clever enough to keep hiding it.

"I want to tell you guys why I've been avoiding you... and El, for all this time." Mike took a deep breath, "and if you decide it's not worth it just let me know, I'll leave and won't try to hang out with you."

"It can't be that bad, " Dustin said.

"Uh, Actually it can, " Lucas said. "We don't need any more attention from Troy, and if Mike's a member we get it."

"If I'm with you Troy will never bother you again." Mike said, looking down.

"Oh, how's that? You have Kung Fu skills we don't know about?"

Mike lowered his voice, "I have... an ability."

"This is the point, " Dustin said, "where you have to prove it to us. We didn't believe El either.

"It's not that simple," Mike said. "I promised El I would never use it on the Party. I will not break any promise I make to El. Ever."

"What if we relieve you of your obligation just this one time?" Dustin said.

"No."

Dustin held out his hands towards Mike as if presenting something to him on a tray. He looked at Lucas and Max, "see, this is what a party member would do. He's not lying to us, and he's keeping a promise we didn't even know he made. Gets my vote right now."

"Troy won't bother you today, he was busy telling the guys with the suits what they wanted to hear."

"I'm not proud of being able to make someone do something they don't want to do, or wouldn't do if they weren't Nudged." Mike said.

"So you're probably never going to use it in front of us?" Lucas said

"I'm not a walking magic trick. Do you ask El to perform tricks for you?"

Lucas shook his head. "Sorry Mike, it's new for us all over again, we're curious."

"I know. What are the chances you'd run into two people who had abilities? I felt like shit after I used it on El. But I needed to show her why I avoided you guys for three years. You'll just have to take my word for it...and El's."

XXXXX

"Mike?"

"Yes, El?"

"I have another promise I need to keep. It involves you."

"What is it? How can I help? Um, you don't want me to use my ability do you?" Mike said.

"Maybe one more time. I promised my dad that if I ever got a boyfriend, I had to take introduce him... and you know my about my ability, so it's important. You _are_ my boyfriend?"

"I didn't officially ask, but kissing…?"

El laughed, "that's official enough for me."

"Oh, _Hopper!_ Your dad is the Chief of Police. I don't know why I didn't make that connection. He's going to ask me to prove my ability like Dustin did, isn't he?"

"Probably. You will only have to do it once."

"Ok, so when do you want to introduce me."

"He's picking me up today after school."

"Today?!"

"Better to rip the band-aid off quickly Mike." El laughed.

"Um, he's not going to stop us from going out is he?" Mike asked looking into El's eyes.

"No, Mike, we'll be ok." She could tell that Mike was scared of the possibility, it made her heart swell to think he liked her that much and really wanted to be with her.

"That's a relief. I think I can face a lot if you are with me."

El leaned in to kiss him. "Me too, Mike. I can face anything now."


	4. Nudging The Chief

Hopper pulled into the school parking lot. His daughter was waiting for him. He noticed two things right away. First, she was standing very close to and holding hands with a dark haired kid, Hopper didn't remember seeing before off hand. Second, it was the happiest he had ever seen her. "Shit, she's making me meet her boyfriend."

Hopper sighed. He knew the day was coming, he wasn't expecting it today, not with all those government assholes running around he had to deal with.

When they got closer it turned out he did recognize the kid, it was the Wheeler's son. Loner, smart kid, never got into trouble. El could do worse he thought... I'll be generous and guess they've got about three weeks before it's over and Wheeler moves on…. although if he was a loner, El was probably his first girlfriend. He would probably wait for El to dump him, in which case their relationship would spin the drain before El finally pulled the plug. That wasn't going to be any fun for anybody. He had to ride this one out.

El looked _really_ happy... Ok give this one three months then... maybe even to the end of the school year. No way either one of them are going to keep each other's attention that long. Oh wait. Shit, did he know about her ability? El just might have been foolish enough to tell him her secret because she was over-infatuated with him.

"Hey, kid…I see you made a new friend. Back seat Wheeler."

El squeezed his hand then let it go. Mike climbed into the back seat.

"Where are we going?"

"Home dad, we have something to tell you."

"I think I get it El."

"Not this you don't"

"Oh," Hopper raised his eyebrows.

XXXXX

Once they were at the cabin, Hopper turned Mike and El. "Ok out with it." He saw that their hands and found each other again. "You are... what term are kids using now?... dating?"

They both nodded at the same time. "That's not it dad, Mike... knows about my ability"

"You _told_ him! What did we talk about?"

"You already know the Party knows about it, they knew before you did."

"You can't just tell any boy you like that kind of thing. It's not safe."

"Mike isn't just _any_ boy I like... I _really_ like him." El gave Hopper a look that said: _don't make me say it_.

"Ok, Ok, you could still have told me that in the truck... It's something else isn't it?"

They both nodded again. "Sir, I have an ability too."

Hopper looked at him. He had to admit, he didn't see that coming. He smiled, "you do, do you? The same as El's? That's going to be my worst nightmare... I don't need two of you having a tantrum."

"Not the same as El's. I can make people do what I want."

"Uh huh, ok Wheeler make me do something."

"Take off your shoe and put it in the fridge."

When Hopper came back from the fridge, he was wide eyed, and saw that El was dabbing Mike's nose with her sleeve.

"Jeezus, Wheeler, you can't tell _anybody_ you can do that!"

"That's why he didn't have any friends, dad, he knew nobody would feel right around him."

"So why are you two dating then, did he make you do it?"

"No dad, he used on me once to show me what it was, and then promised he would never use it on me again. He _promised_. We've... liked each other a long time…." Hopper got it and nodded to Mike.

"Does the _Party_ know?" Hopper air quoted and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but I don't think they believed him, I made him promise not to use it on them." El turned to Mike, "Mike, I need you to promise to _never_ use it on my dad again."

"I promise, El." Mike turned to Hopper, "sorry sir, it's the only way to really convince somebody."

"I get it Wheeler, that was some of the scariest shit I've ever gone through. Do you have a tattoo?"

"You are the second person today to ask me if I have a tattoo, what's going on with that?"

El pulled up her sleeve and showed Mike. 011. She could see Mike mouth the word eleven.

"El is short for Eleven, isn't it?" El nodded.

"El, you need to tell him the rest." He went to the fridge to retrieve his shoe.

She took Mike's hand and pulled him into her room. They were in there about forty-five minutes and Hopper could hear both of them crying at various points. Wheeler wasn't getting the watered down version. He felt sorry for the kid, but he knew this would be the test, she could scare him away... or they would be closer. He didn't like either one of those outcomes. But Hopper knew the latter would at least make El happy... happier anyway. After the last year they had, she deserved that much.

There was silence for the last couple of minutes. Hopper was just about to go in there and break up the kissing he knew was going on, he hesitated because no father wants to see his daughter kissing any boy. You can't unsee that shit.

They finally came out. He didn't think it was possible for them to stand any closer. He could also see it would take a crowbar to pry their hands apart.

"Bad shit, isn't it Wheeler?"

Mike was looking down, sniffed and nodded.

"Does it change your mind about her?"

Mike shook his head vehemently. Well, that was that, Hopper thought, Wheeler had heard the absolute worst, and he was still standing beside her. Give the kid some credit. To be that loyal after only one day... El might have someone special here.

XXXXX

"You ok, Mike?" El worried. He hadn't said a word as they walked along the train track. He never let go of her hand, but he hadn't said anything.

"I'm mad, El"

"At me?" She looked at Mike, really worried now.

"No, no, El, I don't think I could ever be mad at you…" He leaned in and kissed her, "I... love you."

El looked at him with the brightest eyes he'd ever seen. "I love you too, Mike. I wasn't sure you felt the same way." They were silent for a few minutes.

"I'm mad at the lab, the people responsible need to die in a fire." He looked quickly at El's eyes... she looked a little scared with what he'd said, "or at least put in a prison and never get out…"

"My dad is working on taking them down... he has to be careful, so it's taking time."

"Maybe he could use some help."

"We thought of that already Mike, my dad doesn't want me to go anywhere near the lab, too dangerous."

"He didn't know about me, when he said that. The two of us together could make a difference."

"Mike, you made me put a pencil in my nose, " El smiled at that, "and you almost had a non-stop nose bleed. You're too weak after you use the Nudge"

"Why don't you get nosebleeds anymore?"

"I practiced for a year, I got a lot stronger. My nose bleeds if I move something like a train car, but for anything smaller, it doesn't."

"You can move a train car?!" Mike said, "that's incredible. How can I get that strong with my own ability."

"You have to practice Mike, a lot. For at least a year."

"I need people to practice on El, I won't practice on you, or the Party... I'm not a member anyway, but I won't break my promise.."

El thought for a second. "Easy, we go to the new mall."

"Starcourt? That would work, easy to get lost in a crowd."

"I'm going you train you Mike... something like the way I was... but kisses will be your reward for success, not punishment for failures." El 's eyes glittered.

"Kissing for successes, ok, I'm in." Mike kissed her again and pulled her into a tight hug, "you are amazing El... you really are."


	5. Nudging the Crowd

El found out quickly that Mike didn't really know the _rules_ behind his ability. He had never used it on a regular basis. So they experimented a lot. They found out that someone only needed to be able to hear Mike, not necessarily pay any attention to what he was saying. A person didn't need to be able to pick out his words, as long as it was part of the background mall noise, his Nudge would work.

They found out the Nudge worked until it had been completed. And the person who'd been Nudged was none the wiser. They also found out it could work like a post-hypnotic suggestion, a person didn't necessarily have complete the Nudge right away, it could happen later. Mike could tell them to forget something, right away, or the next day.

There was a limit to the number of different things Mike could Nudge. One or two commands were the most successful, trying to do three was no guarantee the third one would work, or the first two would be completely successful.

Mike found that even when he couldn't do something, El considered it a success because they gained knowledge of what his limitations were. She ended up kissing him a lot.

"I think if I have any more successes today, my lips will wear off." El burst out laughing.

"Let me get this straight, you don't want me to kiss you anymore today?" El tried to look extremely serious, but could not keep the smile off her face.

"Well, too bad. Not going to happen, I waited a year to kiss you, so I have a lot of catching up to do." She tilted her head up and kissed him again.

XXXXX

El had Mike practice his Nudge for a month so he could do it without getting nosebleeds. One of the techniques they used, was having Mike wearing his Sony Walkman, and pretending to listen to a song... as he passed by someone he would sing the Nudge in a low voice. It worked almost all of the time.

They were sitting on a bench in the mall.

"Mike? You know you are a little scary the way you can control people now? I think I really understand why you didn't want any friends. I'm not sure the rest of the Party realize how serious this is. Not when they find out how good you are getting at it."

"Only you know, El. If you are really bothered by it, I will stop using it, right this second and never use it again. I don't want you thinking you can't be around me." He looked down, "I don't know what I'd do without you El."

"You will never have to find out Mike. I promise. Guys like you don't come around very often. When they do, a girl has to hold on to them forever. That's what I plan on doing." She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

XXXXX

The next month they worked with Mike's Shove. It was a lot harder to Shove people than it was to Nudge them. The first time El, had to use her own ability to hold up Mike until they could sit down on a bench. He was done for the day, he was pale and sweaty, and it took a long time for his nose to stop bleeding.

"I shouldn't be feeding you chocolate bars to get get your energy back. It's only quick energy. We're going to switch to bananas, like the tennis pros do during a match."

Mike looked at her.

"I watched a lot of TV."

XXXXX

"We need to coordinate our abilities somehow. Some sort of synchronicity." Mike had been thinking of this a lot.

"We'll be better with our abilities working together, instead of you doing something, then me doing something. Do you know what I mean?"

"Combining our abilities will be better than using them separately, it's a good idea Mike. We need to think about that."

XXXXX

Practicing the Shove was a lot more work for Mike. It took him a few months to be as proficient as he was with his Nudge. It required at least two people to use on, and only the simplest commands worked at first, "stop", "sit", "go away". El's suggestion of switching to bananas worked surprisingly well. He could practice almost all day.

They practiced combinations of using the Nudge, and Shove. With El make the occasional very subtle physical push to turn a head, or move a hand. They did complicated interactions. El managed to keep it all straight in her head, and tell Mike who they'd affected or missed, and what phase they were on.

They practiced for months. Increasingly more complex interplay between individual people and groups of people.

XXXXX

"El?"

"Yes, Mike?" They were taking what Mike had been calling a Banana Break on the mall bench.

"I need you to tell me the truth. Friends Don't Lie."

"What is it, Mike?" Concern rising in El's voice.

"Do I look like a banana? Because I swear if I eat another one of these things I'm going to turn into one and may never turn back into a real boy."

El laughed so hard she couldn't catch her breath. Mike loved making her laugh like that. She didn't do it very often. Tears were streaming out of her eyes. Those were the good tears. Mike was ok with that.

El started took a deep breath, "I won't let you turn into a banana, Mike." Just saying those words made her burst into another round of laughing.

XXXXX

"You've been doing _what_?" Hopper was scowling at the both of them.

"Preparing…" El said.

"Did you put her up to this?" Hopper glared at Mike.

"The other way around. I would never put El in danger. We don't think it's dangerous. If you have an arrest and a search warrant, it's legal. We can help make it happen."

"Are you listening to yourselves?" Hopper looked around as if asking for help from the cosmos.

El looked at Mike, "dad needs to see us working together."

XXXXX

They sat at a food court in the mall, Hopper had a coffee, but wished it was a beer. Mike was eating a banana, El had a soft drink.

"Jeezus, Wheeler. That was impressive. Both of you. Coordinating like that was like watching precisely executed army manoeuvers. I can't believe you did crowd control on almost, what, fifteen hundred people?" Hopper was shaking his head. "And you didn't make them do anything illegal. They never suspected a thing. _I_ didn't know what you were doing half the time."

Mike and El smiled at him.

"There's an important difference between people wandering around in a mall, and Hawkins lab employees."

"Sir?"

"Ok, first, can we stop with the Sir? Call me chief or Hopper. You don't need to get on my good side," He nodded towards El.

"Apparently you're not going away anytime soon, so I'm coming to grips with you being around all the time." El smiled at her dad.

"Anyway, the difference is the mall employees aren't carrying guns. I know not all the lab people are, but there's gonna be guns there Wheeler."

Mike looked at El, then back at Hopper, "We think we have it covered."

"I'm listening."

"You're not going to like it."

"Too late for that Wheeler."

XXXXX

"He doesn't think we can do it," El said to Mike, she didn't look happy.

"That's why we're going to do that part before, we even go with him. Only..." Mike looked at El, "do you think I'm ready? I know we've been practicing for a long time and it won't actually be as hard as the mall demo we did for your dad. But I don't want to go in there if you have any doubts at all."

"Mike the stuff you can do is badass. All you need is confidence. The first time you have a gun pointed at you can shake all your confidence out of you. I'll be with you the entire time. No gun will be fired at us as long as I'm with you."

"You really are amazing, El."

"No more amazing than you are, Mike. Together we will be unstoppable."


	6. Shoving the Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course there will be a sequel. :)

Mike and El had planned it out. Before their initial trip, the one without the Chief. Mike would use multiple, different Nudges.

Some he would Nudge to call in sick the next day. Some he would Nudge to take a few days vacation. Some would have non-existent family emergencies. Some would drive to work, but remember they'd forgotten something and have a hard time finding it at home. Some would lose their car keys for a day, others, like security guards he would lose their guns for a week.

Mike was careful to only Nudge simple things. He didn't want to over complicate it. It was important that the Nudges worked.

They worked for hours. Any locked doors, El would open, Mike would Nudge or Shove depending on how many people were in the room.

"I think we got everybody," Mike said.

"I think so, even the off limit areas. I almost forgot about those. I didn't see... P-Dr. Brenner, " Her face darkened.

"Let your dad handle that, it's probably a good thing you didn't see him... you would have been tempted." Mike said.

El nodded, "let's go before I change my mind and try to find him myself."

XXXXX

Mike had stayed at the cabin on the sofa. El was told to stay in her room, but ended up on the sofa with Mike, curled up against him, arms around his waist and head on his shoulder.

Hopper hadn't bothered to wake them when he'd gotten up, he left with a smile. He was back a few hours later and Mike was making some Eggos for the both of them.

He put a folder on the table.

"Any guess on what's in the folder?" Hopper raised his eyebrows.

"Search warrant for the lab?" Mike said.

"And a cease and desist, for activities in certain parts of the lab." Hopper gave El a quick glance.

"What my favourite part of the day is going to be though, is executing the arrest warrant on Brenner. That where you guys come in. I need you to get me to his lab."

El and Mike smiled at each other. "Shouldn't be that hard to do Chief."

"We're going to be met there by a couple of state troopers. Let's go."

"You two in the back seat."

XXXXX

"Can I see some identification, sir?"

Hopper handed over his Sheriff's ID to the man at the gate. "Thank, you, right away Sheriff."

El and Mike looked at each other, hiding their smiles.

Hopper parked closer to the gate. There were plenty of parking spaces. "Seems awful quiet for a Monday. Ok let's go, if Brenner isn't here we can find out where he is."

They walked through the front doors. There was nobody at reception, except two state troopers.

"You Chief Hopper?"

"That's me."

"This Brenner guy going to be a problem?"

"Probably, he's a psychotic son of a bitch. I don't think he's going to cooperate."

"I'm not waiting around for anybody, to tip him off. You know where his lab is El?"

El's eyes were dark, she nodded and led the way, Mike close behind her. Hopper and the state troopers followed.

"We have to take this elevator," El said,

When they were inside Hopper said, "this is too easy. You guys have something to do with this?"

"Yes," Mike and El said at the same time. The state troopers looked at each other and shrugged, they were only really there to assist if there was resistance.

The elevator opened to a long hallway. They hadn't run into any security at any time while making their way to Brenner's lab.

They were about halfway down hallway when doors opened at the end, Brenner, and several security guards stood at the end and waited for them.

"Chief Hopper. I see you've brought my property back to me. I should thank you. You've saved me a great deal of trouble. Come on Eleven, we have more work to do."

Hopper almost shot him on the spot. Too easy, he thought.

"Shoot all of them except the girl." Brenner said in his raspy voice.

The security guards raised their weapons.

"Put down your guns," Mike _shoved_.

They immediately placed their guns at their feet. El crimped the barrels once they were on the floor, then slid all the guns to the far end of the hallway.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back." Mike Shoved again.

Hopper read Brenner his rights, put handcuffs on him extra tight, nodded towards the troopers to deal with the guards.

XXXXX

"What did you two do to make that go so easy?" Hopper wasn't mad, he was relieved and more than a little curious.

"We went there yesterday, spent a few hours there, talked to some people, Nudged some, Shoved others."

"I'm sure there are going to be some people there a little interested in the two kids who walked around the building."

Mike shook his head. "Today was an ordinary day for all of them. I was very specific about the Nudging I did."

"You need to be careful from now on when you use that… ability. Do me a favour and only for good ok?" Hopper gave him a look. "I don't want to be slapping handcuffs on you years from now…" He looked at El, "I'd never hear the end of it from this one."

El gave her dad a large happy smile. "Mike doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

"Call me paranoid, but I've arranged for you to stay here for a week or so Wheeler, in case there is anybody too interested. I'll drive you two to school, and pick you up…." El and Mike's eyes got very wide.

"El sleeps in her room, and you on the sofa, just like last night... right?"

"Just like last night," El said nodding her head but her smile got wider.

"I'm glad we have an understanding." Hopper couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes.

XXXXX

Mike was trying run a comb through his hair after his shower. El snuck behind him with every intention of nuzzling his neck and kissing him behind the ear.

She had managed to do that, then pulled away quickly.

"What's wrong El?"

"Mike," she said in a quiet voice, I think I just found your tattoo."

"What?! I don't remember any time at the lab, I can remember almost to the time I was four years old. Um, what number is it? Where is it?"

"It's on your ear, very close to your head. The numbers are small and anybody could miss it, especially with your hair, but they are pretty clear. SP-011." El said sounding a little angry.

"011, that's a little bit of a coincidence. Ok, I guess we have more work to do at the lab."

"We do Mike, can it wait till Dr. Brenner is put away? Maybe longer? I want us to have some kind of normal life for awhile."

"I want to find out for sure, but it can wait El. I want a normal life with you too. No more training, trips to the mall should be fun for us not work. If I don't eat another banana for a few years it'll be too soon." Mike turned around to look into her eyes.

"So, uh, will you be sneaking out to the sofa tonight? There um, could be kissing involved."

"Every night this week," she smiled up at him.


End file.
